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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · straw · bore · degree · stick · spell · ball · roll

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. roll — a list
  8. bore — to drill
  9. degree — from a university
  10. spell — magic
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — to tire
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — letters
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com